Improvement in car-couplings



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES D. WHITING, OF RACINE, WISCONSIN.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 218,204, dated August5, 1879; application filed April 29, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES D. WHITING, of Racine, in the State ofWisconsin, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Oar- Uouplings,of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to construct a car-coupling that iseasily and quickly coupled and uncoupled, and that can be used on carsof diiierent heights.

Figure 1 is a horizontal view; Fig. 2, a side view.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A is the draw-bar, and B the draw-head, connected to the draw-bar by aknuckle-joint, the pivotal point D being on a line with one of thehorizontal surfaces of the draw-bar, as seen at the line as .10

In arranging the coupling for use on a low car, the draw-bar is placedso that the pivotal point D is on a line with the upper surface of thedraw-bar. For high cars the draw-bar is placed so that the pivotal pointis on a line with the lower surface of the draw-bar, the draw-head Bremaining in the same position as seen in Fig. 2, and is never reversed.

Two lugs, a a, are placed on the draw-bar near thejoint-one, a, above,the other, a, below-so that no matter in which position the draw-bar maybe, the lug b on the upper surface of the draw-head will strike againsta similar one on the draw-bar, thus preventin g the draw-head from beingdrawn up above the level of the upper surface of the draw-bar. The lowerpart of the draw-head at the joint is rounded off, so as to allow thedraw-head to drop down.

The draw-head impinges against a similar draw-head on the other car, andin coupling the draw-head is pushed to one side until the opposingdrawhead passes, when it is pushed back to place by the spring G, Fig.2, which presses against the side of the draw-bar.

The draw-bar slides upon and is kept in place by the slide I, attachedto the bottom of the car.

The draw-bar is held up by the chain K, attached to the lever J by aneyebolt, M, the lever being held down by the counter-weight Q. Inuncoupling, the lever is raised and slackens the chain, thereby allowingthe draw-head to drop down and free itself from the opposite coupling.

The draw-bar is not to be changed after being once placed in position,but is intended to bring the couplings of high and low cars to somewherenear a standard height from the road-bed.

Having described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure byLetters Patent 1. The draw-bar A, having the lugs a and a, incombination with the draw-head B, having lug b, whereby the draw-bar canbe reversed to suit cars of different heights.

2. The draw-head B, jointed to the drawbar A, and uncoupling by droppingdownward, in combination with the chain K, lever J, and weight Q.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signaturein presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES D. WHI'IING. Witnesses:

SIMEoN WHITELEY, J. H. OXDALE.

